Auto-Updates

Vesper Orbit checks for new versions automatically and downloads them silently in the background. You will never be interrupted mid-scan, and you never have to visit the website to check for updates.

How update checks work

Orbit uses an electron-updater generic provider feed at https://vesperapps.com/releases/orbit/. The feed publishes a small latest-mac.yml manifest alongside each release zip, and the app polls it on the following schedule:

• 15 seconds after launch - first check, so a long-idle install picks up updates promptly.
• Every 4 hours thereafter - while the app stays open.

Each check is a single tiny HTTP request. If the manifest's version is newer than the running version, Orbit downloads the update zip in the background.

The restart banner

When a downloaded update is ready to install, a slim violet banner appears at the top of the Orbit window with a Restart now button. Click it to restart Orbit on the new version. The banner does not interrupt scans - if a scan is running, you can keep working and restart later.

If you quit Orbit while an update is staged, the new version will be applied on the next launch automatically.

Manually checking for updates

From the menu bar, click Vesper Orbit → Check for Updates.... A dialog confirms whether you are on the latest version, or kicks off a download if a newer version is available.

This is useful if you suspect the auto-check missed a release - for example, if your machine was offline at the scheduled check time.

The About window

Click Vesper Orbit → About Vesper Orbit to open a small window showing your current version, the Vesper logomark, and links to vesperapps.com and the support email. Use this to confirm exactly what version you're running.

What gets downloaded

Orbit downloads a zip of the new app, not the DMG installer. The zip is staged in a temporary location and swapped in at restart. The disk footprint of an update is roughly the size of the app itself - typically under 200 MB during the brief window between download and restart.

If auto-updates fail

If you are behind a corporate proxy or firewall that blocks the update feed, automatic checks will fail silently. You can always download the latest .dmg manually from the Vesper Orbit page and install over the existing app - your settings (output folder, exclusions, media-type toggles) survive the manual upgrade because they live in ~/Library/Application Support/Vesper Orbit/, separate from the app bundle.